Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-06T06:04:39.065Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Effect of Temperature Exposure on Polypyrrole Actuation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Matthew Cole
Affiliation:
[email protected], UBC, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Canada
John D. Madden
Affiliation:
[email protected], UBC, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Canada
Get access

Abstract

Polypyrrole actuators offer attractive possibilities due to their large electrochemical stress (>5MPa), moderate to large strain (>2 %) and low voltage operation (<2 V). However, little is known about their temperature dependence response, with nearly all previous tests performed at room temperature. To test the effects of increasing temperature, polypyrrole films in water and propylene carbonate were thermally cycled twice from 22°C to 80°C. Length and actuation were measured before, after and between cycling. Results show that polypyrrole in TBAPF6(propylene carbonate) underwent a 4.8% irrecoverable contraction during the first cycle and lost half it’s actuation each cycle. Polypyrrole in NaPF6(aq) showed a 2.1% initial expansion in length on the first cycle followed by a 2.1% contraction on the next cycle, while active strain amplitude dropped from 7.7% to 5.9% to 4.9%. Polypyrrole in NaCl(aq) has a net contraction of 6% over two cycles with no significant change in it’s original 3.5% actuation amplitude. This suggests that although films in NaPF6(aq) have the best initial strain, films in NaCl(aq) maintain the most consistent strain amplitude in response to temperature on the timescales observed. Strain to charge ratio was found to decrease slightly, but the majority of the loss in actuation for films is correlated with a reduction in charge transfer each cycle. This reduction may result from a reduction in the active volume of film.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1 Hara, S., Zama, T., Tanaka, N., Takashima, W., and Kaneto, K., Chemistry Letters, vol. 34, pp. 784785, Jun 5, 2005.Google Scholar
2 Zama, T., Hara, S., Takashima, W., and Kaneto, K., Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan, vol. 78, pp. 506511, Mar 15, 2005.Google Scholar
3 Anquetil, P. A., Rinderknecht, D., Vandesteeg, N. A., Madden, J. D., and Hunter, I. W., Smart Structures and Materials 2004: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD), pp. 380387, July 2004-.Google Scholar
4 Anquetil, P. A.. Ph.D. Thesis, Cambriddge, MA: 2005.Google Scholar
5 Hara, S., Zama, T., Takashima, W., and Kaneto, K., Polymer Journal, vol. 36, pp. 151161, 2004.Google Scholar
6 Yamaura, M., Hagiwara, T., and Iwata, K., Synthetic Metals, vol. 26, pp. 209224, 1988.Google Scholar
7 Madden, J. D., Madden, P. G., and Hunter, I. W.. Proceedings of SPIE 8th Annual Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials: Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices, ed. BarCohen, Yoseph. Bellingham WA: 2001.pp. 7283.Google Scholar
8 Madden, J. D.. Ph.D. Thesis, Cambridge, MA: 2000.Google Scholar
9 Madden, J. D., Rinderknecht, D., Anquetil, P. A., and Hunter, I. W., Sensors and Actuators A, submitted 2005.Google Scholar
10 Grosberg, A.U and Khokhlove, A.R. Giant Molecules, 1998.Google Scholar
11 Sakkopoulos, S., Vitoratos, E., Dalas, E., Kyriakopoulos, N., Malkaj, P., and Argyreas, T., Journal of Applied Polymer Science, vol. 97, pp. 117122, Jul 5, 2005.Google Scholar
12 Sakkopoulos, S., Vitoratos, E., Grammatikakis, J., Papathanassiou, A. N., and Dalas, E., Journal of Materials Science, vol. 37, pp. 28652869, Jul 15, 2002.Google Scholar
13 Samuelson, L. A. and Druy, M. A., Macromolecules, vol. 19, pp. 824828, Mar, 1986.Google Scholar
14 Spinks, G. M., Xi, B. B., Zhou, D. Z., Truong, V. T., and Wallace, G. G., Synthetic Metals, vol. 140, pp. 273280, Feb 27, 2004.Google Scholar
15 Madden, J. D., Cush, R. A., Kanigan, T. S., and Hunter, I. W., Synthetic Metals, vol. 113, pp. 185193, May, 2000.Google Scholar